Rigging Operations SWMS

Rigging operations cover the slinging, lifting, guiding and landing of loads with cranes and lifting gear across construction and industrial work — structural steel erection, precast placement, plant installation and general lifting. It is high risk construction work under the NSW WHS Regulation 2025 because rigging routinely involves a risk of a person falling more than 2 m, the movement of powered mobile plant (cranes), work on or near energised electrical services, structural steel erection and the placement of precast or tilt-up concrete (s291), so a SWMS is mandatory under s299. Dogging (DG) and rigging (RB/RI/RA) high risk work licences, and the relevant crane high risk work licence, are required. The defining hazard is the dropped or swinging load: a sling rigged to the wrong configuration, a load with a mis-judged centre of gravity, an exceeded working load limit, or a snag can drop tonnes onto the crew below or swing into people and structures. Crane stability and ground conditions, contact with overhead powerlines, and falls during access to landing points complete the high-consequence picture. The SWMS controls the rigging configuration and lifting gear, the exclusion zone beneath suspended loads, crane set-up and powerline clearance, and the licensing and communication that keep the dogger, rigger and crane operator working as one. Plant duties are under Part 3.5 and SafeWork NSW is the regulator.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Prefabricate and assemble at ground level and lift completed modules so the number and complexity of lifts is reduced
2. 2Substitution — Substitute mechanical lifting points and engineered lifting frames for improvised slinging arrangements
3. 3Engineering — Rated lifting gear matched to the load and configuration, inspected and tagged, with crane set-up to the load chart and ground-bearing assessment
4. 4Engineering — Tag lines to control load orientation and prevent uncontrolled swing
5. 5Engineering — Powerline clearance — de-energise, insulate or maintain the regulated approach distance with an observer
6. 6Administrative — Lift plan, exclusion zone hard-barricaded beneath the load, and a dedicated communication channel between dogger, rigger and crane operator
7. 7Administrative — Licensed dogger (DG), rigger (RB/RI/RA) and crane operator for every role, competencies verified
8. 8Administrative — Pre-lift inspection of gear and a documented sequence, with stop authority for any crew member
9. 9PPE — Hard hat, high-visibility clothing, gloves and safety footwear, with fall protection for work at height during rigging
10. 10PPE — Two-way radios for dogger, rigger and crane operator on a dedicated channel

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At 6:30 am a rigging crew from Keystone Rigging is set to place precast wall panels with a mobile crane. The licensed rigger checks each panel's lifting inserts and the rated chains against the panel mass, and the crane operator confirms the set-up is level on packed mats and within the chart at the planned radius. A powerline survey flags an energised feeder near the slew arc, so a tiger-tail and a spotter are set and the approach distance marked. The dogger directs the lift on a dedicated radio channel, tag lines are clipped to control the panel's swing, and the landing crew stand clear of the exclusion zone until the panel is braced. As the first panel lifts, a gust starts it rotating; the dogger calls the stop, lets it settle on the tag lines, then continues. Riggers guiding the panel at the brace points are clipped to fall-arrest. The panel is landed onto its braces, the props secured before the chains come off, and only then does the crew approach. The sequence repeats, with the exclusion zone re-established for every lift.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 2550.1 Cranes, hoists and winches — safe use
• Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice

Frequently asked questions